Douglas-Luiz-aston-villa-2022
Everton have reportedly ‘initiated contact’ to trump Manchester United in the race to sign Douglas Luiz, as per Italian outlet Calciomercato.
After impressing with Aston Villa, the Brazilian made a big-money move to Juventus last summer. But the transfer hasn’t gone according to plan as he struggled to find regular game time at Allianz Stadium last term, making only six starts in the Champions League and Serie A.
Now, Calciomercato report that Juventus are ready to part ways with the South American after just one year and want a fee of around £35m for him.
Everton are showing a strong interest in Luiz as they are planning to reinforce the midfield department. However, the Toffees aren’t the only club in this race as Man Utd have been offered the chance to sign the midfielder in a tempting swap deal, which will see Jadon Sancho join the Bianconeri.
Everton have already initiated ‘contact’ with Juventus to trump the Old Trafford club in this race and are hoping to seal the deal on an initial loan with an option to make the move permanent next year. However, the Old Lady of Turin are willing to sell him permanently because they want to reinforce other areas of the squad with the money.
Everton currently lack depth in their midfield department, which include Idrissa Gueye, James Garner, and Carlos Alcaraz, following Abdoulaye Doucoure’s departure as a free agent.
Battle
On the other hand, Tim Iroegbunam is another option for David Moyes, but the former Aston Villa man hasn’t been able to prove that he can perform well consistently at the highest level.
Man Utd currently have Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, and Manuel Ugarte as options for the defensive midfield position. Bruno Fernandes can also provide cover in this role if needed, but he is a CAM by trait.
Casemiro has found it difficult to perform consistently in recent years, while Mainoo struggled to break into Ruben Amorim’s starting eleven last term. Ugarte even lost his place in the Portuguese boss’s line-up towards the end, having made a poor error against West Ham.
Therefore, signing a new midfielder would be the right decision for Everton and Man Utd, and Luiz might be a shrewd acquisition should either club eventually manage to secure his service.